News
OLED TV Panel Costs Are Plummeting and It Could Upend the Premium TV Market
The economics of OLED TV manufacturing are shifting fast. According to a new report from South Korea’s The Chosun Ilbo, the production cost of large OLED panels, like the 65-inch variety powering premium living room setups, has halved over the past five years. In 2020, LG Display reportedly spent close to $1,000 per panel. That figure is now on track to fall below $500 by the end of 2025.
That is not just a financial footnote. It is a warning shot to RGB Mini LED, the latest LCD-based tech trying to rival OLED on contrast and brightness. It also signals a potentially massive change in how high-end TVs are priced, marketed, and adopted in the next wave of living room upgrades.
OLED’s Price Collapse Isn’t Random
This steep drop is no accident. LG Display, the dominant supplier of large OLED TV panels, is systematically reworking its DDI (display driver IC) architecture to improve output efficiency. While material costs and scale improvements play their role, the bigger shift is that OLED is no longer the exotic, high-cost panel it was when LG introduced its first OLED TVs over a decade ago.
What we are seeing is the tech maturing at scale. Production bottlenecks, yields, and backend integration have reached a point of steady optimization. In short, OLED’s premium tax is eroding.
Cheaper Panels, Cheaper TVs
Lower upstream costs mean downstream brands, whether it is LG Electronics, Sony, or even budget disruptors like TCL, have more room to play with pricing. With OLED panels now at a much more palatable cost base, brands can aggressively push mid-premium and even upper mid-range OLED models without bleeding margin.
This accelerates the trickle-down of OLED tech into living rooms that would have otherwise defaulted to high-end LCD or QLED. We are talking about mainstream 65-inch TVs that look like flagship models from just two or three years ago, but without the eye-watering price.
RGB Mini LED Has Work to Do
On the other side of the fence, RGB Mini LED is still finding its rhythm. While it delivers stunning brightness and refined backlight control, it remains a newer technology with more complex manufacturing and quality control overhead. Component tuning, consistency in dimming zones, and supply chain optimization are still very much in progress.
This does not mean Mini LED is falling behind. It still outperforms OLED in raw brightness and is often a better pick in bright-room environments. But the value calculus is shifting fast. OLED now has momentum, scale, and price on its side.
The Takeaway
For years, OLED held the crown for picture quality, but its price kept it out of reach for most buyers. That is changing quickly. By 2026, OLED may no longer be the premium pick. It may become the default choice. Unless RGB Mini LED can compress its cost curve at a similar pace, OLED’s renaissance could turn into total dominance.
In related news, LG Display CEO Jeong Cheol-dong also said LCD panels need 1.5 million dimming zones to match OLED, highlighting OLED’s superior contrast and precision. He added that LG is cautiously evaluating new OLED lines while investing in Micro LED and other next-gen display technologies.
News
TCL unveils 163-inch flagship Micro LED TVs with stunning 4K and brightness
TCL has launched two new 163-inch Micro LED TVs, the Max163M and Max163M Pro, aimed at ultra-premium home theater setups. The Max163M is priced at 249,999 yuan ($36,303), while the Max163M Pro costs 349,999 yuan ($50,824).
TCL Max163M Specifications
The Max163M features a 4K Micro LED display with over 24.88 million inorganic self-emissive chips. The screen delivers pixel-level light control with a peak brightness of up to 10,000 nits. The display supports 3×22-bit+ color depth, which improves color accuracy and gradient smoothness.
TCL designed the Max163M Pro for users who want a high refresh rate. The Pro model includes a 4K 120Hz panel that supports 120Hz signal processing and MEMC motion smoothing. The TV achieves a pixel-level refresh rate of up to 3840Hz, which ensures smooth motion clarity for gaming or fast-paced content.
Both models use Micro LED technology with inorganic materials like GaN and GaP, ensuring durability and consistent picture quality over time. TCL claims the TVs will last up to 100,000 hours. The screens also include full-area light and color calibration, ensuring uniform brightness and accurate colors across the display.
TCL equipped both TVs with a new-generation SoC built on a 12nm process. The system delivers 1.6T computing power and enhances picture quality through intelligent contrast, color, and clarity optimizations. The TVs include a quad-core processor, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage.
The Max163M and Max163M Pro include four HDMI 2.1 ports, along with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. TCL’s Ling Control System 3.0 provides an ad-free interface with a card-style layout for smooth multitasking.
Both TVs feature an ultra-thin, bezel-less design. TCL also offers support for a 7.1.4 channel audio system with up to 860W output, delivering an immersive sound experience.
In related news, TCL has also introduced the T7M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV with a 4K 150Hz panel and Dolby Atmos, alongside the Q9M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV featuring a 4K 150Hz display and up to 5000 nits of XDR brightness.
News
TCL T7M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV launched with 4K 150Hz panel & Dolby Atmos
TCL has launched the T7M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV in China. The new lineup starts at 6,199 yuan ($900) for the 65-inch model and goes up to 14,999 yuan ($2,178) for the 98-inch version.
TCL T7M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV Specifications
The TCL T7M Pro features the advanced SQD-Mini LED display system with 1,152 local dimming zones for precise light control and improved contrast. It offers 100% BT.2020 color gamut coverage for vibrant, accurate colors and delivers up to 2,200 nits peak brightness with Colorful XDR technology, enhancing HDR performance.
The TCL T7M Pro utilizes a Super Butterfly Wing Star panel for enhanced light filtering and RGB output, along with improved quantum dot technology for superior color purity and stability. It features native 4K resolution, a 150Hz refresh rate (upgradable to 300Hz), and advanced motion handling with MEMC and AI-based smoothing to reduce blur and ghosting.
The T7M Pro includes a 2.1.2 channel audio system designed by Onkyo. The setup features up-firing speakers, a built-in subwoofer, and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS formats. TCL claims the system provides immersive and clear sound quality.
The TV is powered by a quad-core Cortex-A73 CPU and Mali-G57 GPU. It includes 4GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB or 128GB, depending on the model. For connectivity, it includes four HDMI 2.1 ports, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and Wi-Fi 6.
TCL has integrated the Lingkong UI 3.0, which uses AI to optimize picture and sound. The interface features smart recommendations and interaction capabilities. The T7M Pro has a slim 60mm design and supports near-flush wall mounting.
In related news, TCL has launched the Q9M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV with a 4K 150Hz display and up to 5,000 nits XDR brightness, along with the T7M Ultra SQD-Mini LED series featuring a 4K 150Hz panel and 3,000 nits XDR brightness.
News
TCL Q9M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV launched with 4K 150Hz panel, 5000 nits XDR brightness
TCL has officially launched the Q9M Pro SQD-Mini LED TV at its spring event. The new TV starts at 6,199 yuan ($900), with prices reaching up to 19,999 yuan ($2,904) for the largest model. The Q9M Pro comes in 55, 65, 75, 85, and 98-inch sizes.
TCL Q9M Pro Specifications
The Q9M Pro uses TCL’s advanced SQD-Mini LED display technology, which builds on traditional Mini LED designs. The TV includes up to 3,552 local dimming zones, allowing for precise light control and deeper contrast. It supports a full 100% BT.2020 color gamut, enabled by upgraded quantum dot materials and high-purity filters. TCL delivers a peak brightness of 5,000 nits with XDR support for enhanced HDR performance.
TCL has equipped the TV with its Butterfly Wing Starlight display panel. This panel improves contrast, viewing angles, and reflection handling. The HVA 2.0 panel technology boosts native contrast by up to five times compared to standard LCDs. The TV uses dual-layer low-reflection coatings and a wide 178-degree viewing angle to ensure consistent picture quality from all sides.
The TV supports a native 4K resolution with a 150Hz refresh rate. It allows for up to 300Hz in high frame rate modes. TCL’s TSR AI picture engine enhances lower-resolution content to near-4K quality, improving sharpness, noise reduction, and color accuracy.
The Q9M Pro comes with a 2.1.2-channel Onkyo Hi-Fi audio system. It includes upward-firing drivers and a built-in subwoofer for immersive surround sound. Connectivity options include four HDMI 2.1 ports, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, LAN, and Wi-Fi 6.
TCL has designed the TV with a slim 60mm profile and included cable management for a clean setup. The Lingkong System 3.0 powers the interface, offering AI-based features, multi-user profiles, and a no-boot-ad experience.
In related news, TCL has also introduced the T7M Ultra SQD-Mini LED TV in China, featuring a 4K 150Hz panel and up to 3000 nits XDR brightness.